Once or Twice
by EnglandBabe1997
Summary: He went back to her estate in the 90s, just once or twice, watched her growing up. Series of short one-shots xx
1. Award Cermony, age 7

He stood leaning against the peeling white paint of back wall of the gym, half hidden in the shadows, drowned out in the thunderous applause. There was only person clapping louder than he was – a peroxide blonde woman who had forced her way into the first row, elbows at the ready. The rest of the audience was clapping, but far more quietly. The peroxide blonde – Jackie, he remembered – beamed at her daughter as seven year old, pig-tailed Rose Tyler was awarded the bronze medal.

He could almost hear Jackie's proud bragging to the other parents from here. Rose's face was stretched into a grin so wide it could've split the sun. She hadn't noticed him – almost no one had.

That was good.

It was bad for him to be noticed. If he was noticed he was memorable – and that was bad for someone as old as he was, not even taking time paradox's into account.

With one last proud smile of his own at the brunette child, Captain Jack Harkness pushed off the wall and quickly disappeared fully into the shadows.


	2. Jimmy, age 17

A cold wind swept through the chilly ait, kicking up the rubbish littering the floor. Groups of teenagers, bundled in hoodies, huddled on the street corners, and mothers peered anxiously out from their windows and cheap curtains. By all standards it was a rough estate but he'd seen too much to be even slightly disconcerted by a group of unarmed hoodlums.

The Powell Estate was quiet but not silent as proven by a loud shout.

"Rose!" A coffee coloured girl, her dark hair in tight plaits, came striding down the pavement. "Rose!"

A bottle blonde girl with dark roots broke away from the huddled group and walked towards her friend, completely bypassing the man hidden in the darkness of the night. "Yeah?"

"Monica Street says that Jimmy's looking for ya. She said he looks mad."

Rose snorted. "What's he got to be mad about?"

Her ' friend' didn't seem concerned. "Come on, you know what he's like."

Rose's tone was dark, "Yes, I do."

Jack clenched his fists in the shadows as the pair walked past, the amber lamplights throwing a darkening bruise on the blonde's cheek further into relief.


	3. Red Bike, age 12

Snow was falling softly onto the Powell Estate. Children were running wildly, with loud exclamations of excitement. Jack smiled gently at some of them.

"Merry Christmas!" The younger ones were shouting excitedly and at everyone that looked their way. The tantalising scent of Christmas Dinner wafted from some of the flats and his stomach growled with hunger.

He silently slid up the stairs and onto the walkway, observing the crowd below with a slight smile. This was humanity. Humanity at its greatest.

And now he sounded like a certain 900 year old Time Lord, or however old he was now.

The children were still laughing and playing in the snow. Some were making snow angels and an impromptu snowball fight had broken out between the older teenagers, the younger children frantically diving out of the way of the furiously flying missiles.

And, along with her friends, a twelve year old Rose Tyler was cycling along on a red bike.


	4. First Day, age 3

"Nooo!" The shout could be heard all over the Powell Estate. "No!"

Three year old Rose Tyler pouted cutely before clinging to the lamppost at the edge of the estate. "No!"

Jackie huffed in exasperation. "Sweetie, you've got to go."

"I don't want to go to school!"

"No one does. But you have to."

Rose lisped, "What if they don't like me?"

"Sweetheart, they'll love you. And if you have any problems tell me, okay? Or your teacher. And you already know some people – Mickey and Katie and Georgia."

"I don't like Georgia," Rose said as she took her mother's hand and followed her, still pouting.

The entire scene had been witnessed by a man on a nearby bench.

Jack smirked behind his newspaper.


	5. Sarah Clarke's Wedding, age 6 months

He wasn't sure if he could risk this. He'd only heard about it in passing, a brief comment, made and then hastily ignored, wiped away with hurried statements and the beginning of tears.

He wanted to find out what it was all about - and it wasn't like he could've asked Rose at the time.

When you worked for Torchwood it was quite easy to find out where a wedding was being held.

Now all he had to do was find the nerve to go. He hadn't seen Rose yet, not like this.

The last time he'd seen either of them had been at the Game Station and he really wasn't sure how to handle this. He knew if he visited now he'd never stop. He'd be an invisible guardian angel right up until she met the Doctor and she wouldn't even know he existed.

He walked down the street carefully - he knew the pair of them were here but he didn't know where, exactly what made this dangerous. He arrived in time to see blonde hair flu into the road and knock someone out of the way. For a moment he was proud. Then he caught sight of the Doctor's face.

Ah.

That explained everything.

And it did. Within the next half an hour almost every human being had been snatched up by the Reapers - he hadn't though. He didn't know why. It was probably something to do with his inability to stay dead.

Maybe one day he'd get the chance to ask.

He carried on waiting though. There was a car that kept on reappearing and disappearing, part of the paradox.

Eventually the man Rose had saved came out though, Rose hot on his heels. Looking at the obvious similarities between them, he winced.

The man (Rose's father) was hit by the car and she knelt next to him and held his hand.

Jack was glad he hadn't asked Rose about this himself.


	6. Henrick's, age 19

It was a rather cheerful day, Jack thought, particularly in contrast to the abysmal weather of the previous day, as he strolled over London Bridge. The sun was shining, and, dare he say it? Was that a bird chirping in the centre of London?

The ground was still damp from yesterday's poor weather despite the glowing sun and London was even busier than usual.

In fact, it was packed.

Which was why he was here - it was harder for him to be spotted and he was skilled in evading people even in large crowds.

It was about as busy inside as it had been outside. Jack hid amongst the clothes racks peering at the garments and pretending to be interested in the advertised sale.

Most of the shop assistants were helping customers but some were putting out stock and others folding clothes handled by customers and put back in a hurry.

In the back corner of the shop Rose Tyler gave a slight smile at a particularly polite customer as she folded shirts and then nudged the person next to her, before they both burst into giggles.

Rose Tyler living the slow path, with beans on toast and telly and two o'clock cabs.

And, in the words of a certain Time Lord, it was _fantastic._


End file.
